Tag Archives: Lux

For those of us who loved Star Wars: The Clone Wars from its outset to its premature end, the announcement of a new Star Wars animated series on Disney XD resulted in mixed emotions. Many of us were frustrated that one of Disney’s first moves after purchasing Lucasfilm was not only to cancel The Clone Wars but to halt production on many several episodes which had been planned, written, recorded, and in various stages of production, from animatics to final rendering. However, we were also cautiously curious about this new series. We had questions, some of which remain unanswered: Would Disney give this new series a fair chance to attract an audience? After all, the ever-changing and inconsistent scheduling of TRON: Uprising (a Disney property) led to viewers wondering when it would air. Would the audience be left hanging (again) by a premature, inconclusive end to the series? Star Wars fans are still wanting an appropriate conclusion for The Clone Wars and the aforementioned TRON: Uprising came to an abrupt halt on a cliffhanger. Most importantly, would our favorite characters from The Clone Wars be seen in Rebels (specifically, Ahsoka Tano)?

Anticipating the upcoming series, I was diligent to seek out all information regarding Star Wars Rebels prior to its release — especially interviews with Dave Filoni. Empire Online asked him about tie-ins to The Clone Wars to which he responded, “It’s possible, I’ll just say that. I think people would be disappointed if there wasn’t some connection…” On the official site, during a video entitled, “The Lost Missions Q&A Rebels”, he admitted, “It would almost be crazy for there not to be anything that is related to a show I loved so much in a new show I’m doing.” These statements, combined with my admitted bias for Ahsoka, convinced me that we would indeed be seeing her return at some point in the series.

During the fifth episode, “Out of Darkness”, we heard about Hera’s mysterious contact, Fulcrum. When Sabine and Hera go to an outpost to pick up supplies from Fulcrum, Hera specifies which crate she will move to the Phantom, based on a mark on the outside of the container. In the same episode, we heard Fulcrum’s voice, albeit altered to disguise the voice. Some fans put together the clues and believed Fulcrum was none other than Ahsoka Tano (though I was a believer, I wanted to argue all the angles, just to challenge my own first impression). However, these clues were certainly pointing us in her direction.

As the season progressed, the makers of Rebels actively focused on turning our attention from my favorite Togrutan by showing previews of holographic images of a hooded Fulcrum speaking to Hera — a hooded form that was distinctly different from the familiar scenes of a hooded Ahsoka from The Clone Wars which clearly showed Ahsoka’s montrals and lekku. Thankfully, we were not kept waiting for long (like a season-ending cliffhanger), but Fulcrum was revealed at the conclusion of the season finale, “Fire across the Galaxy,” when we saw the return of Ahsoka to the screen as she descended the ladder, revealing herself as Fulcrum. We discovered who Fulcrum is, but what is the significance of her code name?

A fulcrum is the pivot point for a lever. Therefore, Fulcrum may carry the connotation that Ahsoka is the hinge for all the work being done amongst the separate cells of rebels. This fits the current storyline, since it appears that each rebel cell only knows Fulcrum outside their immediate context. As Hera pointed out in “Fire across the Galaxy,” this would prevent any cell from being used against the others. With Fulcrum as the contact point for all the cells, she could manage all the cells efforts for a greater impact in their resistance against the Empire. In doing so, she increases the efficiency of the rebels’ efforts, enabling more work to be accomplished (like a lever) due to a well-placed fulcrum.

The Empire has amplified their efforts to quell rebel cells, focusing on Lothal because of the reported presence of a Jedi and his Padawan, as well as their successful attacks on the Imperial base and supplies (Kyber crystals). Perhaps, they concluded that the force behind the rebels’ recent success was the Jedi they had repeatedly encountered on Lothal. Interestingly, it is the Empire’s capture of Kanan that spurs a larger attack on Imperial forces, enlarging our Rebels’ perspective of their place in the galaxy.

A fulcrum is the balance point for a scale. In a balance scale, the fulcrum is in the central position, perfectly set to enable each side to be equally balanced. Perhaps, Ahsoka is able to fulfill this position, as well. Given her history with the Jedi Council, wrongfully accused, yet turned over to the Republic’s (biased) legal system, she recognized that something was out-of-place in the Jedi Order before many others did. She tasted the Dark Side on Mortis, was warned by a vision of her future about her Master, and made at least one true friend on the “other side” of the Clone War (Lux Bonteri). She understands the need for balance.

With Dave Filoni’s latest comments regarding Ahsoka’s white lightsabers, stating that they are neither green or blue (Jedi), nor red (Sith), we will clearly see in Season Two that Ahsoka is something different: neither Jedi, nor Sith, yet still using the Force. (Maybe she will team up with other “third party” characters like Hondo Ohnaka or Bo-Katan.) Ahsoka may well be the perfect person to usher in a new era of Star Wars by revealing the need for a true “awakening” of the Force with a balanced perspective of light and dark, as alluded to in the Mortis trilogy.

A fulcrum is a prop or support. I’m sure I was not alone in my trepidation going into Rebels. Even as the series progressed, something just didn’t feel “right” about the new endeavor — likely because of my adoration for the former series, the look, the feel, the richness that had developed over the years, and above all, the characters. The code name Fulcrum could be a signal to audience members like me who have needed an anchor to the previous series to prop up and support this new show. The unveiling of Fulcrum as Ahsoka certainly did that for me and my family. Now we can’t wait to see what happens in Season Two.

Hello and welcome back to yet another review of The Clone Wars here at the Star Wars Report! This week the Death Watch returns as Ahsoka tries to save season 3’s Lux Bonteri from the Mandalorian terrorist group led by Pre Vizsla after Lux seeks their help to kill Dooku in the episode A Friend in Need!

The episode starts out with negotiations on the neutral planet of Mandalore, and very quickly elevates into a shootout between Republic guards and Separatist commandos after an unexpected interruption from the returning character of Heroes on Both Sides, Lux Bonteri. Later we find that this was a plan to get the location of Count Dooku from his hologram transmission. Ahoska and Lux travel to the planet of Carlacc where Lux meets up with the Death Watch. This planet is absolutely stunning! The snow, the trees, the villages, the colors all have a very Feudal Japan feel about them, which is perfect considering this is an episode about a group who’s history is a culture that fights for honor, rather reminiscent of the Samurai.

When we first see the Mandalorian camp, I found it somewhat difficult to relate this new Death Watch to the Mandalorians of old, even the past generations of their own group at times. Yes, I can understand burning villages, and their ruthless grip over the planet, the Death Watch is the more barbaric and bloodthirsty of the Mandalorians, but the target practice on the defenseless droids just seemed too easy for these warriors. I couldn’t help but think that they were just thugs wearing Mandalorian armor. In my opinion, even the splinter group they are a part of would have seeked out a tougher challenge when training, or even when it’s just for fun. Mandalorians are about being the best, right? I’ll let it pass though since the droids play into the story later. And where these thuggish Mandalorian recruits might take away from the Mandalorian experience is immediately redeemed by our returning villain Pre Vizsla, who is a much darker, intimidating, and ruthless villain than when we last saw him. He is almost unrecognizable from the Concordian governor we met in season two. A complete visual transformation is included in some of the new attachments to his already incredible helmet, I love it!

Remember the droids the Death Watch had been using for “target practice”? While I was a little hesitant to accept the fact that the Mandalorians were lowering themselves in my opinion by shooting unarmed droids, I did like how it tied into the climax neatly, and we also see how much the battle droids, and R2, can put their alliances and differences behind them to help someone in need. But whether these droids were reprogrammed by the Mandalorians to erase their objectives, or really did forget that their duty was to march, shoot at clones, and die, is left to our imagination. You can’t deny that a battle between Mandalorians and a makeshift army of now re-armed battle droids was the coolest thing to come out of season 4 so far! Especially while Ahsoka and Pre Vizsla have an awesome lightsaber duel in the midst of the battle. That is what The Clone Wars is all about!

In the end, Ahsoka and Lux escape, after fighting off the Mandalorian excellently voiced by Katee Sackhoff of Battlestar Galactica and 24 fame. It all seemed to work out, and they can finally get to Coruscant, when Ahsoka finds out that Lux is going back. So not only did we witness cool battles, the destruction of villages, and the iron fist of the Death Watch, there is powerful emotion between our two main characters! There have been a lot of really good character relationship moments in this series (romantic and not), but Lux going back to face the Mandalorians after saving Ahsoka was one of the best of them all. Could he be going to certain death? Probably, but hopefully we’ll see him again. Even if we don’t, this ending was the perfect place to leave the Ahsoka/Lux relationship. Whether it’s for good, or for sometime in the distant future, we’ll just have to wait and see.

A Friend in Need was much more enjoyable than I expected. There aren’t too many one episode story arcs that can have that much character, action, story, and memorable moments packed into twenty two minutes. The designs were amazing, Pre Vizsla was as menacing as ever, and the cliffhanger for Lux and Ahsoka was truly great. I really can’t say enough about this episode and I can honestly say it’s one of my new favorites. Well done Clone Wars team! What did you think of this episode? Did you love it? Hate it? Somewhere in between? Leave a comment below, I’d love to hear your thoughts! Thanks for reading and may the Force be with you…always!

After hibernating in a frigid cave on Hoth, we are back from our little winter vacation from Star Wars: The Clone Wars. The timing is impeccable as TCW is also back from it’s own winter break. There will be some minor spoilers below as to the subject matter of future TCW episodes in Season Four.

Where have we been in Season Four:

Season Four kicked off with the Mon Cala trilogy in which we are re-introduced to the Mon Calamari-Quarren rivalry, we parallel last season’s introduction of a young Tarkin by meeting his future slave and future leader of the Rebel navy Ackbar, and we met a new potentate in Lee-Char. From Mon Cala we traveled back to Naboo (again) in an episode that focused on the Gungans and General Grievous, and witnessed the heroic death of General Tarpals. Then we got the slightly odd Droids duology, featuring the misadventures of R2-D2 and C-3PO. Just when you start to wonder what the heck TCW was doing, they delivered the awesome four-part Umbara arc with the dastardly Jedi General Krell and the kick butt Clones of the 501st Legion. Before the holiday break began we saw the first two parts of the Slaves of the Republic trilogy, which is adapting the previous Dark Horse Comics story by the same title, written by TCW Season One head writer Henry Gilroy.

Bossk is mad Obi-Wan wouldn't give him his Jell-O

Where are we going in the second half of Season Four?

Much like last years TCW season, things are going to start heating up as the show moves towards the season finale. It is kind of odd that they choose to take the break in the middle of a trilogy, but that may be a Cartoon Network decision and not a Lucasfilm decision. Based on what we now know about the remaining episodes for this season, we will be wrapping up the Slavery arc, we will get a stand alone story featuring the return of Lux Bonteri and Death Watch, and we will then wrap up the season with two, four-part story arcs. The first story-arc will star Obi-Wan Kenobi as he goes under cover as a evil sniper from (dramatic pause for fanboy gasp) Condord Dawn! Concord Dawn is a planet within Mandalorian space and has a long history with the Fetts. Does this combined with the return of Death Watch foreshadow TCW revisiting the Mandalorians, setting up a story arc featuring a Mandalorian Civil War and the defeat of the neutral pacifists under the leadership of Duchess Satine? I sure hope so!

The final four-part story arc will lead nicely into the 3D re-release of Star Wars: The Phantom Menace as it will star Savage Opress and his brother Darth Maul. How will they put Humpty Dumpty Maul back together again? I guess we will just have to wait to find out.

TV Guide.com has a brief description of the Lux-Death Watch episode, “A Friend in Need,” which will air on January 13th, 2012.

Lux renounces Dooku and the Separatists, and joins an extreme faction known as the Death Watch.

The move from patrician to Mandalorian is an interesting character development for Lux. From the EU we know that being Mandalorian means (even the evil Death Watch version) takeing people from all species and backgrounds; it is less about your biology then it is about you adopting the culture.

It will be interesting to see how Ahsoka handles the conflict of emotions, being happy Lux is standing up to Dooku and the Separatists, but being concerned about his new friends.

It certainly sounds like TCW is going to be very interesting in the last half of this season. I know what I will be watching this Friday night! Will Anakin decide to join with the Zygerrian Queen or will he be able to save himself, his freinds and the Togrutan slaves? This Friday at 8:00 P.M. on the Cartoon Network we will find out.

Come back soon to the Star Wars Report for continuing coverage of TCW and all things Star Wars!